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Completing a Grand National set is at the top of Leda Beck’s winter wish list.

The Winton trainer is half-way there with Gargamel, who takes his first steps at Saturday’s Southland meeting toward the completion of a prestigious jumping double.

Beck produced the dour stayer for an upset win in last year’s Grand National Hurdles and her long-term objective with the gelding is the Grand National Steeplechase.

“We’ll see how we go, but he will be weighted out of hurdle races down here,” she said. “We’ll keep dreaming and aim for the steeplechase.”

Gargamel hasn’t raced since he proved too tough for the northerners Zenocoin and Houndscry in Riccarton’s feature hurdle contest last August.

“He’s been back for three months and has done a fair bit of work with the younger ones, but he might need a couple of runs to get him right,” Beck said.

Gargamel will resume in the Invercargill Licensing Trust Handicap with Beck following a pattern of past years and sending the son of Sunray first up over a middle distance.

“It will still be too short for him and he’s usually under a ride even over 2000 metres,” she said.

While Gargamel came to the fore over the jumps last season, he has a more than respectable flat record and is a past winner of the Invercargill Gold Cup.

Ironically, it could be the current holder of the Southland title who proves the toughest for Gargamel to contend with on Saturday.

The Bishop is in fine touch and won the cup off the back of a Rating 75 staying success at Wingatui.